Earlier this year, the Missouri Legislature passed a budget that rejects $8 million in federal family planning dollars in an effort to keep Planned Parenthood from receiving any of those funds to provide preventive health care services like annual exams, birth control, and services to diagnose and treat sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Now that the anti-Planned Parenthood legislation passed, Gov. Nixon has decided he has no choice but to suspend the federally funded Women’s Health Services Program and spend state funds for a similar program, which excludes Planned Parenthood. Before suspending the program, the state must allow the public 30 days to comment on their plan.

Missourians should not be punished for the political games of Sen. Schaefer and other extremist legislators in the Capitol. The Department of Social Services should not suspend the Women’s Health Services Program or exclude Planned Parenthood from the newly established state-funded program until every patient can be guaranteed at least the same level of health care they receive under the Women’s Health Services Program.

This means:

Having the systems in place so that people currently enrolled in the Women’s Health Services Program are automatically transferred to the new state-funded program. No one should have to re-apply for a new program or wait for a new insurance card to come in the mail before they can access care.

Guaranteeing that the state-funded program will provide at least the same benefits and services currently provided through the Women’s Health Services Program, including free annual exams, life-saving cancer screenings, birth control, and STI services.

Making sure enough licensed and trained women’s health care providers participate in the new state-funded program so that patients are able to access timely and quality care from providers who they trust.

Providing people enrolled in the new state-funded program a provider directory with accurate contact information so that they can make appointments and receive critical health services without delay.

Our lobby days in Jefferson City are crucial to let our legislators know that we have a strong voice in their communities. In the last two legislative sessions, Missouri politicians proposed 57 bills intended to cut people off from the reproductive health care they need. The number of dangerous, insulting bills filed in the 2016 session is steadily climbing. It’s unacceptable and that’s why we need you to take action with us!

Shame on Schaefer Continues — In Person!

After a public “meet and greet” event hosted by the Mizzou College Republicans with Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia) drew significant online and in-person attention from critics of Sen. Schaefer’s anti-Planned Parenthood actions, the event was cancelled and then rescheduled at a new location Friday evening in Columbia. Dozens of Missourians turned out to meet with Sen. Schaefer and protest his anti-reproductive health care agenda. Protesters outnumbered supporters by more than two to one.

Missouri House Passes Bill Expanding Access to Birth Control

The Missouri House of Representatives passed HB 1679, which would expand access to birth control by allowing pharmacists to prescribe oral contraceptive pills. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Sheila Solon (R-Blue Springs) and has bipartisan support. The measure is similar to new laws in Oregon and California.

Rep. Solon said that she wants to expand access to contraception to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions in Missouri. The bill now awaits a committee hearing in the Senate.

Anti-LGBTQ SJR 39 Defeated

SJR 39, a measure that would have enshrined in the state constitution businesses’ and nonprofit organizations’ right to deny service to LGBTQ Missourians, was defeated last week in the House. Members of the House Emerging Issues Committee voted 6-6, which killed the measure.

RSVP for May 5th Lobby Day

Mark your calendars and plan to join us in Jefferson City for our final lobby day of the legislative session this Thursday, May 5 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. More than two dozen anti-reproductive health care bills are still on the table. Gather with fellow advocates to let lawmakers know that attacks on Missourians’ reproductive health care have to stop!

Carpools will be available in St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and Columbia. RSVP at the link below!

P.S. It is your support that drives us to fight for reproductive
rights and allows us to provide vital health services to those in our
community. Help be there for women, men, and teens in our community by making a
tax-deductible donation.DONATE

Victory for Patient Privacy

Last week Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri successfully reached an agreement with Senate leadership to narrow their broad and vague subpoena request to an agreement that allows a few senators to review policy-related documents and blank forms, but no private patient information. When Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia) came looking for private patient-related information and threatened to jail president and CEO Mary Kogut, she stood firm. Thanks to the thousands of Missourians who spoke out and took action, the privacy rights of Planned Parenthood’s patients are protected.

On Thursday, April 21, the Missouri legislature passed a budget that attempts to take away preventive services like annual exams, birth control, cancer screenings, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment from patients insured through Medicaid. The budget also includes a reckless scheme, authored by Sen. Kurt Schaefer, to reject $8 million in federal family planning funds and create an entirely new taxpayer-funded state program in order to skirt federal Medicaid laws and discriminate against Medicaid patients. These political attacks against Planned Parenthood patients will not deter Planned Parenthood’s commitment to serving all those in need, including patients using Medicaid. The budget now goes to Governor Nixon.

Bill Expanding Access to Birth Control Advances

The House of Representatives gave first-round approval last week to HB 1679, which would expand access to birth control by allowing pharmacists to prescribe oral contraceptive pills. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Sheila Solon (R-Blue Springs) and has bipartisan support. The measure is similar to new laws in Oregon and California.

Rep. Solon said that she wants to expand access to contraception to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions in Missouri. The House will need to give it a final vote before it can advance to the Senate.

Anti-Shackling Bills Make Progress

The legislature has advanced two bills that would protect pregnant and postpartum prisoners from being shackled during the second and third trimesters, during labor and delivery, and for 48 hours postpartum. Sen. Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis) successfully amended her anti-shackling bill (SB 977) onto Sen. Wayne Wallingford’s (R-Cape Girardeau) SB 618, a bill addressing juveniles in the criminal justice system. The bill has passed the Senate and awaits a vote in the House Committee on Civil and Criminal Proceedings. Rep. Jeanne Kirkton’s HB 2552 received a hearing in the House Corrections Committee last week and awaits a vote there.

Shackles are degrading, unnecessary, and medically dangerous. Leading medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have denounced shackling as an inhumane and dangerous practice that can harm the pregnant person and put the pregnancy at risk. The federal government and several states have banned the practice.

Recap: Supporters #StandWithPP to Say #ShameOnSchaefer

More than 100 Planned Parenthood supporters came out on Saturday morning to visibility events at Planned Parenthood’s health centers in Columbia, MO and Overland Park, KS. Advocates called out Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia) for his multi-pronged attack on Missourians’ reproductive health care: cutting off access to safe, legal abortion in mid-Missouri, threatening to throw St. Louis Planned Parenthood CEO Mary Kogut in jail for protecting private patient medical information, and discriminating against Medicaid patients who choose Planned Parenthood for their health care. Shame on Schaefer t-shirts, signs, petitions and chants painted a picture of support for patient privacy and patients’ rights to access the full spectrum of reproductive and sexual health care including safe and legal abortion.

Lead Nurse Practitioner Kristin Metcalf-Wilson said, “He’s using women’s reproductive rights as a political football to improve his political status.”

RSVP for May 5th Lobby Day

Mark your calendars and plan to join us in Jefferson City for our final lobby day of the legislative session on Thursday, May 5 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. More than two dozen anti-reproductive health care bills are still on the table. Gather with fellow advocates to let lawmakers know that attacks on Missourians’ reproductive health care have to stop!

Carpools will be available in St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and Columbia. RSVP at the link below!

P.S. It is your support that drives us to fight for reproductive
rights and allows us to provide vital health services to those in our
community. Help be there for women, men, and teens in our community by making a
tax-deductible donation.DONATE

#ShameOnSchaefer Petition

More than 4000 Missourians have signed on to the petition to tell Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia) that enough is enough. They’ve had it with his schemes to punish Missourians, invade privacy, and attack our rights.

When Kurt Schaefer ran for Senate, he described himself as a moderate who wouldn’t play politics. Now he’s attacking Missourians’ access to health care to score political points with extremists. Continue reading →